1. El Hombre, of course, but no surprise value in that. Props also to Wainwright, Edmonds, and most surprisingly, Belliard.
2. No real surprises on the STL side of the diamond, but I’m surprised at the number of boners San Diego has pulled. The botched rundown is not the kind of “fundamentals” that one expects of a first-place team.

3. The Kent/Drew boner, of course. That’s one for the ages.

4. Cards win it at Busch, equal probability for 3-0 and 3-1.

5. On one level, it’s already a success; on another, it can never be one. Making the playoffs qualifies as “success” regardless of what happens from there, which has a major component of luck. However, they can’t be proud of the regular-season W-L record, no matter what. I’d forgive that with a Series win, however.

3. Cardinals: Belliard’s range on the grounder in the 7th, game one. entire postseason: I’m gonna avoid the typical Torii Hunter or Dodgers response and say the Tigers edging the Yanks out at home and heading to Detroit with a split.

4. sweep.

5. long answer: i’d be lying if i was to say i wouldnt be disappointed if the cards fail to beat the Padres, but these last two games have been great, and the Cards are fighting, and if they go down fighting from here on out, i can’t complain. short answer, tho: nlcs, with a win or two at shea.

6. what? are you kidding? we have the potential for four playoff games on Saturday. besides the first four days of the NCAA tournament in march, the start of the division series is the best few days on the sports calendar. I’m not gonna sully it with a football game (especially since the baseball will probably be preempted by some stupid “regional” game on Jefferson Pilot sports – like Vanderbilt versus Ole Miss or something).

7. personal fav has to be Murmur by R.E.M., with Black Sheep by Martin Sexton and Trace by Son Volt coming in close behind. The best? I have to flake and give a few: Ten by Pearl Jam, though I think Vitalogy is their best album; Grace by Jeff Buckley, and it’s a shame what we could have had if his life weren’t cut short; Come Away with Me by Norah Jones, but that one’s obvious.

Edmonds, Belliard and the Bullpen to me are all tied for the most impressive thus far in the playoffs. Considering the amount of injuries this year, they are a success to me. I am not a football fan so I will stick with the baseball playoffs. Cards will win it at home and not have to go back to the West Coast

1. Who has been the most impressive Cardinal over the beginning of the postseason? Tyler Johnson, nasty stuff.

2. What was the biggest surprise of the first two games, positive or negative? The bullpen or Jim Edmonds, toss up

3. What’s the most memorable play or moment of the postseason thus far, from the Cards-Padres series or any of the other ones? I enjoyed Verlander freezing A-rod with a nasty deuce.

4. How does this series end up? Cardinals sweep? Carpenter closes it out in Game 4? Win on the road in Game 5? Padres roar back and win it? Sweep, Suppan is too experienced to screw this up.

5. How far does this team need to get for you, as a fan, to consider this year a success? We have to get to the wold series.

6. Will there be any room on your calendar for football this weekend? If so, what game — college or NFL — grabs your interest most? Iowa State – Nebraska (I’m an ISU student). My hate for Nebraska is pretty intense almost as bad as Iowa (almost all Hawkeye fans are cub fans, so it can’t get any worse than that). Saw your post concerning the ISU band. I didn’t see the show cuz I went back out to the tailgate to drink away my problems. Heard it was sweet though, how did you know about it? BTW no way we should have won.

7. What’s the greatest, or your favorite, debut album of all time? Or both? Nelly-Country Grammar

1. Definitly the Pitching staff as a whole. Carp, Weaver,Wainright, and Johnson mainly. But talk about rookies preforming under pressure.
2. Weaver. Had a lefty stacked lineup and he shut them down with a different approach then normal.

3. Card’s – Belliard’s Defense

Overall – New York’s Double play at home. That was just cool.

4. Card’s sweep. Suppan has been too good at home and I don’t think the Pad’s have it in them to come back.

5. I would be happy with at least a good showing in the NLCS. I think they are capable of at least making it to the Series if not winning it, but there is a lot of competition and I just would like to see them compete the way they are capable of.

3. Drew still heading home after the guy in front of him was tagged out by at least 10 – 15 ft.

4. Sweep, Soup’s at home, The Fathers are done (and they know it).

5. World Series, I’ve been so bummed about the way management didn’t do enough to improve the team during the regular season, I’ll be really surprised / excited if they get that far… But after the two seasons we’ve had in a row prior to this year, the expectations need to be that high until they win one.

That wasn’t aimed at just you, by any means. Everybody’s welcome to comment around here; I just get frustrated when people take a topic and run with it in a completely different direction. It’s a fine line, I know…

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